5 Healthy Dishes to Cook for Seniors on Thanksgiving

By Ilse du Bernard, 9:00 am on November 9, 2016

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s likely your senior loved one is looking forward to a tasty feast. However, he or she may have a few dietary restrictions that prevent certain traditional holiday meals from being on the menu. North Houston senior home care experts have a few suggestions for some healthy alternatives you can serve to your loved one this Thanksgiving.

1. Skinless Turkey Breast

The heavy concentrations of fat and calories in turkey are found mainly in the dark meat and the skin, but turkey meat itself is actually quite healthy, for both its easily digestible protein and high concentration of vitamins and minerals. Instead of a whole turkey or no turkey at all, serve your loved one some skinless, boneless turkey breasts for the taste and tradition he or she expects without all of the fat and calories. Making it boneless simply makes it much easier and safer for seniors to eat.

2. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Instead of serving the large amounts of starch found in potatoes, try mashed cauliflower. This dish provides a similar texture and taste while trading a vital combination of nutrients and healthy fiber for the starch. Among those nutrients, a single serving of cauliflower provides more than ¾ the daily requirement of vitamin C, along with a host of vitamins and minerals that are invaluable for seniors.

3. Dried Fruit Multigrain Stuffing

Refined white flour is known to cause inflammation, increase food cravings, promote gastrointestinal disorders, slow metabolism, and cause blood sugar levels to spike. Rather than using white bread in the stuffing or leaving out stuffing from the meal plan altogether, substitute dried fruit. Besides being a nutrient-rich alternative that doesn’t present any of the aforementioned health risks, the fiber in the dried fruit also helps with digestion. For the smaller portion of bread included in the recipe, substitute healthier whole-grain multigrain bread for heavily refined white bread.

4. Soup

Almost any kind of soup you can think to prepare for Thanksgiving would be an excellent addition to your loved one’s plate. Soups are easy to eat and digest, and you can add in any number of vegetables, from pumpkin to mushroom, and you can also include whole grains like barley or quinoa. As long as you’re mindful to add only the slightest hint of salt to bring out the flavor, a soup can be a filling low-sodium addition to the Thanksgiving table.

5. Oat Flour Apple Pie

If you’re light on the sweetener and opt for an all-natural choice like honey, there’s no reason your loved one has to pass on dessert. For the pastry crust, combine whole-wheat flour and dry rolled oats, both of which are far better for the digestive system than refined white flour. Grind up some almonds into the crust to add a distinctive flavor that comes with benefits like lowered blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

If you’d like additional healthy meal suggestions to serve your loved one all year long, reach out to Home Care Assistance. Our caregivers are experts in senior nutrition and can assist with cooking, grocery shopping, and much more. We also offer comprehensive Parkinson’s, post-stroke, and dementia home care North Houston, TX, seniors can count on. For more information, please call 832-412-1345 today.